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Integrated transcriptome and hormone dynamics uncover biphasic defense responses in sugar beet infected by Cercospora beticola

Leonard Barnabas Ebinezer Mari Natwick Lorena I. Rangel R. Jaswal Eric Branch G. Secor Melvin D. Bolton Nathan A. Wyatt

Jul 2026 · BMC Plant Biology · 0 citations

TL;DR

This study links major defense transcriptional programs and phytohormone dynamics, providing a comprehensive view of sugar beet responses to CLS, and revealed that a susceptible sugar beet genotype mounts an early and transient defense response against C. beticola.

Abstract

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Cercospora beticola , is a destructive foliar disease that threatens sugar beet production worldwide. Despite its economic significance, the molecular interaction between sugar beet and C. beticola is poorly understood. We report integrated time-resolved transcriptomics and hormone profiling of CLS infection spanning the asymptomatic and symptomatic phases. Our data revealed broad transcriptional changes, with defense and hormone-related processes being most altered. We detected transcriptional signatures consistent with activation of pathogen-associated molecular pattern- and effector-triggered immunity, along with differential expression of genes encoding putative receptor-like kinases and receptor-like proteins as well as nucleotide-binding (NB) leucine‑rich repeat (LRR) receptors (NLRs). Defense activation was evident as early as 3 days post-inoculation (dpi), including upregulation of pathogenesis-related proteins, genes related to systemic acquired resistance, and the hypersensitive response (HR). At 7 dpi, several biological processes, including defense response, showed overall downregulation, suggesting a pathogen-mediated suppression of transcriptional responses. During the symptomatic phase, defense-related genes—particularly those associated with HR and numerous putative NLRs—were induced again, illustrating a bi-phasic regulation pattern. Cis-element enrichment analysis showed significant overrepresentation of defense-related WRKY and AT-hook motif nuclear-localized protein binding motifs within the protomers of genes upregulated from 11 to 25 dpi. Parallel quantification of major phytohormones demonstrated stage-dependent modulation of infection-related hormone groups across the infection cycle. Our analysis revealed that a susceptible sugar beet genotype mounts an early and transient defense response against C. beticola , which appears to be pathogen-suppressed but later reactivated during symptom development. By integrating time-resolved transcriptome analysis and hormone profiling, our study links major defense transcriptional programs and phytohormone dynamics, providing a comprehensive view of sugar beet responses to CLS that complements and extends previous genotype-focused work.

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